A case study in culture change

From small volunteer acorns, mighty oaks can grow

The story of Prussia’s military transformation from 1805 to 1815 is familiar to students of history: crushed by Napoleon at Jena and Auerstedt, Prussia was reduced to little more than a satellite of France. Shocked by this catastrophe the Prussian state reformed its army under the guidance of Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. By 1815 the Prussians were once again a Great Power and a critical factor in Napoleon’s final defeat. Two generations later Prussia defeated France and Austria in lightning campaigns that transformed the map of Europe.

Scharnhorst’s reformed Prussian army remains a model and object of study for historians and military strategists to this day.

This remarkable essay shows us how Scharnhorst laid the groundwork for reform when the Prussian state and its army were adamantly and obstinately opposed to change:

Introducing #Scharnhorst: The Military Society and the Concept of Continuous Education

When Gerhard von Scharnhorst arrived in Berlin in 1801, he had an ambitious reform agenda on his mind. He was appointed to helm the Military School for Young Infantry and Cavalry Officers in Berlin, better known as the Kriegsakademie. Scharnhorst’s aspirations went, however, much further.

Scharnhorst believed education had to become a life-long process of learning and exploring new ideasthe bedrock of military professionalism and what he had in mind was no less than the transformation of military education. Beyond change in the classroom, the vehicle for this transformation was the Military Society (or Militärische Gesellschaft, in German). The club met once per week and quickly became the place to be for every ambitious officer. For the mere four years of its existence, the Military Society had a remarkable track record. According to Charles Edward White, almost sixty percent of the officers who were members became generals; seven rose to field marshals; and five of the eight Chiefs of Staff of the Prussian General Staff between 1813-1870 belonged to it.

The Military Society existed for only four years and its members never numbered more than 187. Yet the voluntary “social club” became the incubator for a revolutionary transformation of the Kingdom of Prussia and the armies of Europe.

One key reason for its outsized influence was that while it was “social” and “voluntary” it was also highly selective.

Anyone desiring to become a member had to prepare an essay and send it anonymously to the organization. After reading aloud and debating the text, the other members had to decide whether to invite the author into the ranks of the Society. Only after a decision was made would the identity be revealed.

Writing and debate played a central role in Scharnhorst’s vision for the society:

When putting thoughts on paper, a writer is forced to examine his or her knowledge and find the gaps in it; to make choices about which arguments or facts to put forward; to think about how to captivate and convince the audience. In this regard, Scharnhorst considered writing an essential part of the military profession and a way to develop one’s critical thinking. He stated: “The drafting of a shorter work is sometimes more useful to the writer than the reading of a thick book.”

The Military Society brought together the best minds in the Army. It allowed them to study and analyze the changes underway in military affairs. Members sharpened their critical faculties; ideas ere refined and transmitted through the whole officer corps.

In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned find themselves equiped to live in a world that no longer exists.

Eric Hoffer

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